big picnic for cement creek

Yarra Ranges environment group Warburton Environment are organising a forest picnic to highlight logging that is about to commence in Cement Creek.

Cement Creek, part of Melbourne's water catchment is due to be logged as part of VicForests 2011 Timber Release Plan.

Cement Creek contains some beautiful high conservation forest, habitat to Victoria's endanged faunal emblem, the Leadbeater's Possum, it's destruction for woodchips is a travesty.

It was the potential logging of Armstrong and Cement Creek in 2007 that motivated me to move a motion that the Shire of Yarra Ranges council oppose logging in Melbourne's water catchments. Fourteen other councils followed suit and also opposed logging of Melbourne's water catchments.

Cement Creek had a reprieve in 2008, with local member at the time, Tammy Lobato, announcing there'd be no logging during 2008/09, but as I said at the time it was a hollow victory with no permanent protection of Cement Creek.

Organisers of the Biggest Picnic Ever want to highlight the immediate threat to our forests from clearfell logging for paper and pulp. There'll be guided tours and guest speakers to talk about the values of our forests.

Warburton, essentially a tourist town, relies on its natural assets to support its tourism industry. Those forests also support a wealth of biodiversity, assist in water supply, provide clean air and have enormous value as a carbon store - these forests are the most carbon dense in the world.

When: Sunday 14 August - 11:30am to 2:00pm

Where: Meet at Mechanica in Warburton for carpooling at 11:30. The picnic will be at the coupes approximately 10 kms from the Rainforest Gully Walk (on Donna Buang Rd) along the Acheron Way.
What to bring: a picnic, boots and a jacket

A map is available on request as well as any other info, email keith@warburtonenvironment.org.au.